Iqaluit (May 29/06) - Nunavut sealskins will be headed to Greenland once more.

Last Thursday, Greenland's home rule government reversed a January decision to ban the import of Canadian sealskins because of the controversy over sealing practices in Newfoundland and Labrador.

With a seal pelt draped over his office chair, economic development minister Olayuk Akesuk sits at his desk in the legislature Thursday in Iqaluit. Akesuk was part of a delegation that travelled to Greenland in January to convince the territory to drop its ban on Canadian seal pelts, which it did last week. - Chris Windeyer/NNSL photo

That decision enraged Nunavut sealers, who use high-powered rifles and not the clubs that outraged animal rights activists.

In a news release, Greenland's fisheries, hunting and agriculture minister Finn Karlsen said he is satisfied with Canadian sealing practices.

"Canada has sensible regulations on hunting methods, drawn up in close co-operation with biologists, veterinarians, weapons experts and seal hunters," Karlsen said. "The hunting of seals in Canada is subject to strict and extensive control measure, which (have) led to the use of effective and humane killing methods."

A delegation from the Government of Nunavut went to Greenland in January to protest the ban, arguing that sealing was a cultural bond between the Inuit of Nunavut and the Inuit of Greenland, economic development minister Olayuk Akesuk said Thursday.

"We should have a strategy to promote seal instead of banning each other's products," he said.

Andre Tautu, president of the Aqigiq hunters and trappers organization in Chesterfield Inlet, said Greenland shouldn't have banned Canadian seals in the first place, since Greenlanders and Nunavummiut share a common heritage.

"I don't see why they wouldn't buy Canadian seal products," he said. "We should be trading between Greenland and Canada."

Greenland's decision to end the ban was also economic. Capacity at the Qaqortoq tannery operated by Great Greenland A/S is up to 150,000 pelts a year and purchases from Greenlandic hunters are down 10 per cent from last year.

"Purchases of Canadian skins may help ensure stable supplies to the tannery and thus help maintain and improve the company's competitiveness," Karlsen said.

Akesuk said Nunavut sealers didn't suffer during the ban, because seal pelts are sold on the world market at an auction in North Bay, Ont., where other countries continued to buy Canadian pelts.

Nunavut sells 7,000 to 10,000 pelts every year. The government buys from hunters and sells the pelts at auction, passing on profits to hunters, Akesuk said.